ARCHITECTURE AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING IN THE REFUGEE CAMP
Mansoor Azizi Master of Architecture Boston Architectural College Dec, 2017 Advisor: Jack Cochran 1
The Boston Architectural College Architecture as a Tool for Learning in the Refugee Camp --------------Mansoor Azizi Master of Architecture, December 2017 -----------------------------------Thesis Advisor, Jack Cochran ------------------------------------Dean of Architecture, Karen Nelson
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Abstract Every few days, in different regions of the world, we witness new conflicts that cause massive shifts of population from one country or continent to another. These shifts incur heavy costs and severe difficulties for host countries and immigrants. We can alleviate some of these pressure by employing architecture in immigrant camps and host countries as a tool and developing architecture as a program for supporting and educating refugees to help them deal with new lifestyles and adapt to new cultures. Architecture can make the transitions of immigration smoother and safer for both refugees and hosts.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my wife and my daughters for their constant support and their patient tolerance of my absence throughout my pursuit of a Master’s Degree. I also wish to thank everyone who helped me complete my thesis, with special thanks to my thesis advisor, Jack Cochran, and to the rest of the Boston Architectural College family. No words can express my appreciation for your time and work. To you all, my deepest gratitude.
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C O N T E N T S 6
Abstract 3 Acknowledgment 4 Content 6
Part 1 Statement 8 The Problem 9 The Most Recent, Crowded, and Oldest Refugees 10-11 Social Construction 12 Human Needs 13 Refugee Impact 14-15 Education 16-17 Precedents 18-19 Site location 20-21
Part 2 Site Strategy 23 Design Strategy 24-25 Concept Diagram 26-27 Wind and Day Light 28-29 Floor Plan 30-31 Passive Ventilation 32-33 Sections 34-35 User Experience 36-37 Social Space 38-39 Elevations 40-41 Detail 42-43 Conclusion 44 Bibliography 46 About the Author 48
Part 1
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Statement Architecture can play a critical role in assisting refugees in their recovery and healing process. By participating in the construction of the buildings that will house them, refugees can begin to regain their sense of purpose and efficacy in supporting their families and their communities. They will also learn skills by participating in various workshops and classes and gain the education they need to eventually regain independence. Through this process, residents develop a sense of trust and security, which is one of the fundamental bricks in building a new community. Having a sense of community and belonging triggers a sense of responsibility towards their new homes and fellow residents.
The Camp Al Zaatari.
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THE PROBLEM One of the biggest challenges in our world today is the millions of refugees and displaced people around the world. The future is likely to see more people on the move, and the international community must face the challenge of understanding and coping with the effects economic, social, and environmental created by displacement created by displacement. Today, most refugee camps are built as temporary shelters, despite the fact that the average duration of a refugee stay in a camp is 15-20 years, and the length of that duration is increasing. Although the United Nations and other international organizations assist refugees, the residents of refugee camps, who have escaped the trauma of their home countries, rarely get the proper care and education they need to make a successful transition to their new country. Without training in how to cope with the dilemmas of forced migration, they tend to become dependent on external aid and support. The lack of planning and education leads to a self-destructive cycle, often precipitating more violence and destruction in the camps within the next generation. Can we rethink the system to be sustainable in providing support such as food, shelter, health, and education?
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THE MOST RECENT, CROWDED AND OLDEST REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS There are more than ten large refugee settlements around the world. I chose to study the most crowded, the oldest, and the most recent of these refugee camps. Each camp represents a different aspect of the problem. The first is the most populated site, home to 300,000 people. Many of them fled the civil war in Somalia. They occupy an area the size of New Orleans and their population is larger than that of several big European cities.1 The next site is the oldest: founded in 1972, it is a self-settlement camp in Tanzania that was recognized as a legal settlement by UN in 2014. The third site, situated in Jordan, is the most recent camp with the latest technology and most up-to-date programs. I chose this site for study and concept development because it is well-documented and offers crucial insights into many aspects of successful planning and development.
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Recent
Zaatari (Jordan) Population (2015): 77,781 Established or recognized in: 2012 Occupants primarily from: Syria Settlement type: Planned/managed camp1
Crowded
Hagadera (Kenya) Population (2016): 300,998 Established or recognized in: 1992 Occupants primarily from: Somalia Settlement type: Planned/managed camp
Oldest
Katumba (Tanzania) Population (2015): 66,416 Established 1972 and recognized in: 2014 Occupants primarily from: Burundi Settlement type: Self-settled camp. 11
Social Construction Society: Political, Economic, Governmental. Community: Family, School, Religious, Neighborhood Trust and Acceptance, Sense of Community, Accessibility. Individual: Need for shelter, Food, Drink, Temperature, Work, Rest, Activity, and Sex. Leyla Acarology leads presentations around the world about activating positive social and environmental change through creative interventions. In her book, “Make Change,� she states that to change a system we need to start from the bottom, with the individual, and work our way up to the group or community. But this approach is only applicable when we are dealing with an existing social network. When applied to a refugee camp, this approach took two years to train all residents to perform simple tasks. Tackling individual problems instead of community problems can lead to more significant issues. My research proposal is to initiate change in the middle at the community level to intervene more quickly and efficiently.2
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Human needs chart The current location of refugees on Maslow’s chart is at the bottom of the table, indicating their loss of family, house, hometown, and their exposure to physical and psychological threats. These refugees lack sufficient water, food resources, and activity. Living in an isolated site area, their subjection to high levels of control and security and their separation from the world of meaningful human activity makes them feel like prisoners. They are not trusted or accepted by the surrounding group or community and are cut off from wider society. Living in small, poorly made shelters and an impoverished environment, they are susceptible to depression and psychological distress, and to a debilitating dependence on others. 3
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Refugees’ impact on host Countries According to UNHCR, a refugee crisis impacts the host nation in multiple ways, placing sudden pressures on its land and economy. Environmental Impact: Competition between host and refugees for natural resources such as land, water, and food. Economic and Public Health Impact: Growth of slums, concentrated areas of poverty, poor health and hygiene. Increased costs for security and health care. Cultural/Racial Impact: Forced segregation of people by cultural, racial, or ethnic identity. Social: Creation of social conflict within the host country, city, or facility. These conditions worsen relations between host countries and refugees, deepening the division, conflict, and mistrust between hosts and guests.4
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Image 4 The picture above shows refugees collecting wood to use as a fuel. Their use of scarce resources and destruction of plant life has a tremendous adverse impact on the local environment. especially given the host country’s dry and hot region and limited vegetation.5 The Impact of Syrian Refugees Crisis on Jordan6
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EDUCATION Education is the key.Education provides a crucial foundation for a healthy, productive, and prosperous life. Education empowers people, providing knowledge, skills, and tools, and thus protecting people from exploitation while enabling them to become advocates for their community and for social and economic progress. Education offers hope for the advancement of individuals and their community and helps build a community’s overall resilience in the face of change. Adult Education In developing countries, each additional year of education can increase a person’s future income by 10 percent.7. A well-educated adult workforce also has a stabilizing influence on the whole economy. Child Education Education programs for children help build their hopes for the future. Learning helps children access opportunities to improve their lives and helps protect children from exploitation such as forced recruitment in military organizations, labor and sexual exploitation, and child marriage. Family Education Family education helps stabilize and strengthen communities. Education for families includes raising awareness and understanding about family budgeting, effective communication, parenting, domestic violence, health, hygiene, and community involvement. Health Education Education in basic hygiene and sanitation within a community helps people develop preventative practices like hand washing, cleaning utensils, and locating sanitation facilities away from water sources. These practices reduce the spread of preventable diseases that currently cause high mortality rates in the developing world.8
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91%
50%
Primary school
World
84%
22%
refugees
Secondary school
34%
1%
Higher education
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Precedents In all precedents, the common factor was that building structures were composed of rammed earth, which is an exciting material to design with. It is an excellent choice for constructing broad structures that span large open areas. Conventional construction materials are expensive and not readily available in remote locations such as Jordan or South Africa. Rammed earth is a traditional construction material in regions with hot, dry and cold, harsh desert climates. In addition to the sustainability and heat and cold resistance of adobe building, the availability of material on the site and the simple instructions needed to construct buildings from the soil on hand, including basic testing and good quality control, make this construction material a unique and secure option. Education Facility in Mugombwa Refugee Camp, designed by ASA Studio.11
Mirramukhi School was built in Auroville in 1995. It was the opportunity to show that the Nubian technique can be used for any kind of shape, especially for a large span vault.10
Cultural center in Senegal Designed by the New York-based firm Toshiko Mori Architect, rammed earth and bamboo structures keep areas naturally cool, while their rain harvesting system provides fresh water for the community.9 18
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Site Location Zaatari is a refugee camp in Jordan, located 6.2 miles east of Mafraq. First opened on July 28, 2012, to host Syrians fleeing the violence of the ongoing Syrian civil war that erupted in 2011, the camp is gradually evolving into a permanent settlement. On March 26, 2015, the camp population was estimated at 83,000 refugees.12 Climate: Dry desert. Weather: Typically sunny with zero percent chance of rain. Wind conditions are breezy. The average high is between 83 to 90 Fahrenheit. Jordan also receives humidity from the Mediterranean Sea. Vegetation: Although the land is mostly desert, the cities have 2000 different species of flowers. There are the occasional bushes and trees, but they are sparse. .
“Approximately 7000 people reside in only one district, and 50% of the population are school age.�
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Part 2
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Site Strategy One of the primary motivations of the community camp is to preserve the existing commercial activity on the site, which encourages and supports the residents to grow from uninvolved and jobless to active and productive members of their society who can support their families. Even more importantly, the camp attempts to give these people hope for their future, setting them on a course toward education, collaboration, and integration. Another design intent was to minimize the impact on the environment. This drove me to focus on using sustainable materials and on consideration of the geographical site opportunity, as well as on energy-saving technology and techniques which are more efficient and have a less environmental impact. All of these factors benefit the host and the immigrants. These benefits help create stronger and closer relations between host and immigrant, making immigrants more welcome by their new country. To simplify the construction and have an efficient, economical method, the best design was a modular system or building block that can be extended or expanded.
The initial step of creating the different zone on the site.
Creating privacy for the lot by regrading the terrain, elevating rear portion of the lot, and lowering the middle part.
The advantages of new terrain: Harvesting rain water and directing breezes into the site for cooling and ventilation. 23
Design Strategy Another strategy is to take advantage of conventional material on the site that residents can feel comfortable using for construction. This approach is a critical decision I made after reading about several attempts of the international company to create spaces in Afghanistan using highquality material. The community did not feel comfortable because of the unfamiliar materials, and after a year the site became dead space because no one wanted to occupy it. The building doesn’t look like it belongs in its location, which makes it awkward for the intended residents and makes them avoid use. All of the materials I propose in my design exist on site and are familiar to the residents: Mud/Block wall, Kiosk, Tent.
Mud/block wall
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kiosk
Tent
Outside and Inside strategy provides tremendous benefits such as expanding space, which can enhance the users’ experience of space, and extending and connecting the interior space to the exterior, which provides the user with abundant fresh air and natural daylight, connecting the user to nature.
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Site Strategy The Learning Through Architecture “How” diagram shows four primary areas that architecture affects to improve life. Health/ Sanitation, Agriculture, and Construction are all subjects areas in which refugees will receive education to improve their lives. Equality and Dignity are improved by Providing Comfort, which includes using characteristic cultural symbols on the site, and by providing Opportunity to Work Side by Side. as well as centers for cultural events.
The “Who Is Involved” chart shows different user groups, which are divided into two primary branches: “Beneficiary” includes children, students, adults and seniors; “Accountable Care Organizers” includes the international organization, local government, community, and school.
The “Community Multi-Impact” diagram reviews four primary effects and the sub activities in each of the four zones, which are Education, Environment, Social, and Health.
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The commercial zone on the west and storage zone on the east by commercial zones. provide limited privacy from the main street.
The education and community gardens shape the spine of the community on the site by being surrounded on the east by the storage structure and on the west by
The open space in the center gives excellent visibility and awareness to the site user, which helps develops a sense of safety and community.
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Concept Diagrams of Material and Technologies
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Wind and Daylight Diagram
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Floor Plan and Program
Education: The primary driver and root of this community program is education, both for children and adults. The education program is located in the center spine of the site and is accessible from all sides. The community garden is one of the critical points of this program and has two sections: one is in an open space and the other is in an enclosed space. The enclosed system is a new method of gardening which has become very common in the hot and dry zone. Commercial: A zone located on the main street brings attention to the site and, by using a characteristic cultural structure, comforts refugees by resonating with their home culture and creating a sense of belonging to a community. The food distribution and health building is located on the inside of the perimeter of the site, right behind the commercial and storage space toward the garden in the center of the site and accessible from the community garden. This structure has a strong relation to garden and to education, providing information about nutrition and processing the garden products into food and snacks for children and adults in addition to distributing food, which is provided by the international organization. Storage: A structure designed to store the international goods and located on the east side of the site serves the residents of the district and avoids over-crowding on the main street.
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Passive Ventilation Natural ventilation and shading. The buildings are naturally ventilated using cross-ventilation systems which extend through the operable glazed opening on one side and vent on the other wall, which is adjacent to the earthsheltered wall close to the ceiling that lets the hot air rise above the building. Shading the facade is another strategy for the building in the middle of the site, using a secondary facade with tent material that absorbs solar heat and creates air circulation or a breeze from the sidewalk around the building and social area. This air circulation makes the building and surrounding areas more comfortable for users. Mechanical ventilation in the summertime. The ceiling fan will provide ventilation in the classrooms and building, taking advantage of the ceiling height to provide comfort for users. Overhang shades from the south building facade protect the structure from the summer sun, reducing overheating. Low winter sun will penetrate the glazed areas, bringing heat and light when it is most needed. The tent structure using glulam and steel connections protects the outdoor sale area from sun and rain while also shading the west facade of the commercial zone.
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Sections Education Zone Design Approach My attempt at a successful strategy is fueled by focusing on the transition through indoor and outdoor space, which students will experience as they approach the site. My primary plan was to guide the student from the characteristic cultural structures that creates empathy in the user. Those designs formed at the main street by tent structures, which are mainly Islamic muqarnas, inspired me.
Y O U N G
R E S I D E N C E
PRIMARY INDOOR CLASSROOM ELEMENTARY PLAYGROUND/OUT DOOR CLASS
ELEMENTARY INDOOR CLASSROOM
A C A D E M I C
SECTION B
SECTION A
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E D U C A T I O N
OUTDOOR CLASS
HIGH SCHOOL INDOOR CLASSROOM
A D
F I E
After passing through the commercial zone, students are exposed to the different social clusters which encourage them to interact with the environment and society. There are several small hangout areas right next to classes that can comfort the user by providing a shaded area that protects the user from exposure to hot sunlight, rain, or other environmental and seasonal weather changes. These are spaces to share an experience or thought with a friend or classmate. Entering the indoor classroom, the building has three full glazed doors on the three sides of the building, which allow plenty of daylight to flow in and maximize the visibility into the site for students. This visibility aids in learning collaboration and in the celebration of unity, for example, through observing and sharing in the experiences of older residents. Alongside, doors provide natural ventilation, which is another critical aspect of life in the hot, dry climate.
D U L T L D
U S E R
R E S I D E N C E
E X P E R I E N C E
GARDEN / OUTDOOR CLASS
INDOOR FACILITY MANAGEMENT
KEY PLAN
E D U C A T I O N
GARDEN/ OUTDOOR CLASS
INDOOR CLASS/ GREEN HOUSE
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User experiance Social interaction
Student playground
Influenced by site program
adults
Celebrating cultural symbols
Collaborating side by side for production
celebrating life event
Seniors
Social interaction
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Collaborating side by side for production
Relives trauma
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SOCIAL SPACE There are several areas designated for social activity and for short interactive experiences between student and instructor.
1 2 3
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1-Small social area between classes
2-social area with the view to comercial zone
3-court yard in education zone
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ELEVATIONS
NORTH ELEVATION
SOUTH ELEVATION
WEST ELEVATION
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EAST ELEVATION
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Rammed earth/ tent structure
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Conclusion This study is only a small step towards turning a world crisis into an opportunity for residents of the earth. If The United Nations and international humanitarian activists create and prepare a bank of case studies for each climate zone and have an emergency plan ready, it will serve to comfort many in need and have minimal effect on the earth, preventing political conflict in many conflict zones. I believe architecture is a powerful tool that can improve social behavior, build a political movement, or help heal a tattered community to empower people for a better future -- locally and internationally. 44
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Biblography Endnotes 1 Todd, Jack. “10 Largest Refugee Camps in the World.” BORGEN. March 20, 2017. http:// www.borgenmagazine.com/ten-largest-refugee-camps-world/. 2 “Make Change Handbook (E-Book).” LEYLA ACAROGLU. Accessed November 30, 2017. https://www.leylaacaroglu.com/handbooks/make-change-handbook. 3 McLeod, Saul. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” Simply Psychology. February 04, 2016. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 4 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Social and economic impact of large refugee populations on host developing countries.” UNHCR. Accessed November 30, 2017. http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/excom/standcom/3ae68d0e10/social-economic-impact-largerefugee-populations-host-developing-countries.html. 5 Publichealthwatch, Posted By. “5 Things You Should Know About Climate Refugees.” Publichealthwatch. September 29, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2017. https:// publichealthwatch.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/5-things-you-should-know-about-climaterefugees/. 6 “Mitigating the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on Jordanian vulnerable host communities.” UNDP in Jordan. Accessed November 30, 2017. http://www.jo.undp.org/content/ jordan/en/home/operations/projects/poverty_reduction/mitigating-the-impact-of-the-syrianrefugee-crisis-on-jordanian-.html. 7 “Education Data.” Global Partnership for Education, Global Partnership for Education Accesseed November 30, 2017. www.globalpartnership.org/data-and-results/education-data. 8 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Education.” UNHCR. Accessed November 30, 2017. http://www.unhcr.org/education.html 9 “New Artist Residency In Senegal / Toshiko Mori.” ArchDaily. March 12, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/608096/new-artist-residency-in-senegaltoshiko-mori. 10 Webmaster, Auroville Earth Institute. Auroville Earth Institute. Accessed November 30, 2017. http://www.earth-auroville.com/mirramukhi_school_en.php. 11 “ASA studio · Mugombwa Refugee Camp Pre-Primary.” Divisare. Accessed November 30, 2017. https://divisare.com/projects/295711-asa-studio-mugombwa-refugee-camp-pre-primary.
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Image Source Cover Image: Photo Credit: Getty Images / AFP from “Behind the fences of Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp.” Behind the fences of Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp - Al Arabiya English. Accessed December 05, 2017. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/blog/2016/03/28/ Behind-the-fences-of-Jordan-s-Zaatari-refugee-camp.html. Image 2: Photo Credit: Getty Images / AFP from International, Radio Canada. “UNICEF Canada: education for Syrian refugee children.” RCI | English. April 27, 2016. Accessed December 06, 2017. http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2016/04/27/unicef-canada-education-forsyrian-refugee-children/. Image 3: Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera from “Syrians at Zaatari camp: ‘We can’t live here forever’.” News | Al Jazeera. October 24, 2015. Accessed December 06, 2017. http://www. aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/syrians-zaatari-camp-live-151021074641938.html. Image 4:”unknown photographer” from Publichealthwatch, Posted By. “5 Things You Should Know About Climate Refugees.” Publichealthwatch. September 29, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2017. https://publichealthwatch.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/5-things-youshould-know-about-climate-refugees/. Image 5: unknown photographer Accessed November 30, 2017. from http://www. jo.undp.org/content/jordan/en/home/operations/projects/poverty_reduction/mitigatingthe-impact-of-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-on-jordanian-.html. Image 6-7 Photo Credit: ASA STUDIO from “Refugee Camps education facilities.” Refugee Camps educ. Accessed December 06, 2017. http://www.activesocialarchitecture.com/ refugee-camps-educ. Image 8-10: Photographer Unknown, Webmaster, Auroville Earth Institute. Auroville Earth Institute. Accessed December 06, 2017. http://www.earth-auroville.com/mirramukhi_ school_en.php.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mansoor Azizi Mansoor is an Iranian Architect and Industrial Designer born and raised in Tehran, Iran. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Art & Architecture Azad University of Tehran, Iran; and his Master’s degree from Boston Architectural College. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, he co-founded Maze Co., an interior commercial design company specializing in the design and manufacturing of various products and in design services such as exhibitions and showrooms, urban sculptures, and environmental design proposals for multiple companies within Iran. He is the winner of five proposed urban sculptures (bas-relief) and environmental design competitions for Tehran’s subway stations. His company was well recognized within the established community and was selected as the best manufacture contractor for European companies such as DeLonghi (Italian home appliance manufacturer) Panasonic, Siemens, and Bosch. Currently, Mansoor is an architectural and commercial designer at Wellisch Architect in New Jersey, where he has worked for over ten years and is in the process of receiving his architectural license.
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